Patients might leave your practice if they fear EHR data isn't secure

Some patients are impressed by the high-tech sophistication of an EMR -- and may even think more highly of your practice if you have one. But it's important to remember another subgroup of patients distrust EHRs and, if your data is breached, may leave your practice permanently.

A new survey by SailPoint, conducted online by Harris Interactive, found that most adults in the U.S., Great Britain and Australia worry about the security of their medical data. Roughly 80 percent of respondents worry that moving personal medical information from paper to electronic form can lead to identity theft or exposure of their data to staff members, employers or even the Internet at large.

Consumers have developed these fears after hearing news story after news story citing hacking attacks on financial institutions and retailers, according to SailPoint cofounder Jackie Gilbert. If their own institutions get hit by a data breach, customers may never be quite as loyal again. In fact, 16 percent of Americans, 24 percent of the British respondents and 26 percent of Aussies said they'd stop doing business with a bank credit card companies or retailer if  a break-in occurred that might have exposed personal or financial information.

Given these concerns, you may not be surprised that patients are a bit skittish about the use of EHRs in medical practices. Generally speaking, between one-quarter and one-third of adults are afraid that EHRs will end up causing their records to be exposed to public view, and a similar percentage report that they're afraid their identity will be stolen. And 10 to 14 percent of respondents said they were most concerned about staff members not involved in their care getting access to their private data.

How realistic are their fears? Let's face it, the data held a hospital or large ambulatory care center is a much juicier target than the smaller group of patients managed by your small medical practice. In other words, while you could be targeted, you're not a high-profile target.

Still, given how worried some consumers are, it wouldn't hurt to offer them a flyer and/or e-mail explaining the measures you take to protect their electronic health information.  You may also want to make a point of explaining how EHRs work, in basic terms, so patients get comfortable. After all, it's easier to fear EHRs if you don't understand what they're for, how they work or how they can help.  Holding patients' hands during this transition, educating them and reassuring them that their data is safe seems like a smart move.

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